Chiropractic care restarted in the West from 1895 onwards, thanks to the pioneering work of Canadian, Daniel David Palmer.
Manipulating the body for health reasons is a practice that goes back to the Ancient Greeks and the time of Hippocrates. However, the modern application of chiropractic care began in the late 19th century.
The Early Days Of Chiropractic Care In The Late 19th Century
Historians believe that the first modern chiropractor was Canadian Daniel David Palmer. He began performing adjustments from 1895 onwards, providing his city-dwelling patients with a new way to combat pain and improve their posture.
Two years later, he founded The Palmer School of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Here, he refined his techniques.
Palmer noticed that no one had formalised physical manipulation and adjustment techniques, even though they had been around for hundreds of years. Records on spinal manipulation dated back to the fifth century BC, but modern science hadn’t codified them. Palmer set about changing that.
The Formal Development Of Chiropractic Care In The 20th Century
During the 20th century, more chiropractors followed Palmer’s lead, first in the Americas and then Europe. Entire schools and journals developed around the practice, and thousands of patients received relief for their conditions.
Research began to play a more central role in the development of medical technology. Pioneers set up their educational institutions and recruited young healthcare professionals looking to explore the art.
The British Chiropractic Association was the first body to regulate chiropractors in the UK. Founded in 1925, the organisation now represents more than 50 percent of chiropractors in the country. Today, it has a policy of only accepting members who graduate from nationally and internationally recognised institutions. Practitioners must have completed at least four years of training to qualify.
In Europe, progress was slow. Even in the 1960s, young students had to go to the U.S. or Canada if they wanted training. Attempts to set up colleges in Denmark and Switzerland failed.
Britain, though, came to the rescue. In the 1980s, a group of British and European chiropractors set up a school in Bournemouth called The Anglo-European College of Chiropractic. Despite only producing two graduates in the first year, the school went on to be successful and, by 2005, became associated with the University of Bournemouth, securing its long-term future.
The Regulation Of Chiropractors In The UK
UK chiropractors originally operated under common law, meaning anyone could set up a clinic. However, following the Chiropractors Act of 1994, the title “chiropractor” became protected under the legislation, just like “dentist” or “doctor.” Now professionals must abide by statutory regulation by the General Chiropractic Council and regular members of the public cannot practise adjustments without being registered with this body.
Today, UK chiropractors must undergo a programme of continuing professional development to qualify for re-registration. Ongoing study enhances the quality of the field and protects patients. A doctor of chiropractic medicine can now offer sports therapy, osteopathy, physical therapy, massage therapy and more as part of their treatment services.
